Allen is not going to “baby” McFadden

Raiders coach Dennis Allen was on the NFL Network this morning, as was asked again about taking it easy on running back Darren McFadden this preseason and during the season. Many Raider fans hold their breath every time oft-injured McFadden gets the ball in these meaningless games. But not Allen.

“He’s 100 percent,” Allen said. “He’s been extremely explosive throughout camp and in the preseason. He’s very vital to our offense, giving our offense a chance to be explosive and keep the defenses honest. We’re going to have to be able to keep him healthy and use him throughout the year. The thing that you look at as a running back, it’s a tough position and they take some shots. That’s part of football and we can’t baby him, we can’t protect him. We have to go out there and play football and give him an opportunity to carry the ball, and we hope that he’s able to stay healthy.”